On the court, it's been a good-not-great season. Richmond is 15-9 overall, 11-3 in the A10, and has an RPI around 100. We've played a lot of good teams tough, but we've only actually BEATEN one of them and probably need to go on a run to make the PI (or win the CT to make the NT).

However, recruiting could not have possibly gone any better. We only needed to fill one scholarship this time around, as only Dan Green graduates (side note: The guard I lost the 55-45 flip for, Allen Spradlin, has scored more than 1,600 points while a four-year starter for NC State; that hurts!). Meet one of the best recruits I've ever signed...

Lyle Amezcua (*****, #26 overall, #5 C, NY Mr. Basketball) - I decided to take a big swing. A walk-on wouldn't have hurt me much; I'd have happily rolled with both Gary Cole and Matthew Ebbert in the starting lineup, with Douglas Opitz as the #3 big.

Amezcua's preferences were among the most favorable I'd ever seen, and he was just under 300 miles away. He comes in ready to start, complete with knowledge of my system on both ends of the floor. He's an insane athlete who will turn into a complete player fairly quickly, and I'd be stunned if he wasn't drafted (probably early).

I expected stiff competition, and I got it. UConn and St. John's both dove in on him. However, because Amezcua was my only target throughout recruiting, I was able to get in, promise him the world, max out my visits, and hold on for dear life. I wound up winning a three-way flip with something like 45% odds; I was favored, but not by a ton, and it's probably good he made a decision when he did (going up against two higher-prestige Big East teams is hard!).

I love Amezcua, and I really like the rotation we'll roll out next year. Jones, Nicholson, Caudill, Cole, and Amezcua will turn into a really strong unit, and with a bench that includes White, Keegan, Ebbert, and Opitz, plus a few other solid rotational pieces, I think this could be my best Richmond team yet. Hopefully our results bear that out!

GRADE: A+.

Big post coming here...

Last season: Richmond went the hardest-luck 17-11 I've ever seen. Of 11 losses, nine were by five points or fewer. I'm not saying we were great, but we should've won 20 games and didn't, so that hurts. In addition, our prestige dropped to C+, which I figured would hurt us in recruiting.

This season: Things went much, much better. We've completed a 20-6 regular season with some big wins, including a road win at Georgia. WIS says we're on the right side of the NT bubble, and that's nice to see.

We had three scholarships to fill in recruiting, and all three got filled up early. Here's what we got...

Daniel Murphy (**, #122 overall, #29 SG) - This was another terrible guard year (though, to be fair, it comes after a string of decent ones). Murphy was one of two primary targets. Another, a *** guard, was the subject of a battle between Richmond and Georgia. Georgia won the flip, but I don't regret going after him because I HAD to dig my heels in somewhere.

Murphy, meanwhile, has a listed position that doesn't match his skill set. It says he's a guard, but he's really a SF. Currently, he's slow for a guard, and he can't really shoot. What he CAN do, however, is guard like crazy and move the ball. He hits me like a "point forward" type, one who'll get much faster and turn into a solid dribble-drive guy on offense. Down the road, it's possible he moves back to a guard spot, depending on how the roster shapes up.

We do, however, have to start him next year. Maryland Eastern Shore dumped a lot of attention on him. I was OK battling them (a lower-prestige program from a lower-level league), but then I saw Binghamton offered him a scholarship and I pulled out the promises to keep this from turning into a three-way battle. Thankfully, he knows both of my sets and shouldn't be a liability, and long-term, he'll be a very good player with a defined role. There'll be growing pains, but for what he is, I really like him.

David Wiggins (*, #147 overall, #35 PF) - The frontcourt isn't a pressing need for next season. We return the four PF's/C's that have played every game. However, two of those guys will be seniors next season, and I remain convinced Amezcua's going to turn pro early.

Enter Wiggins, who has plenty of potential but needs time. He's a good athlete already, with good "wing" stats for a big and a knowledge of my defense. Most everywhere else, though, he's pretty raw (I also wish he had a higher rebounding ceiling, but it's not like he'll be terrible on the glass, either). He's going to develop a lot in time, and that makes him a prime redshirt candidate. If he doesn't take it, it's not the end of the world, but more time to ensure he reaches his ceiling will turn him into a solid starter.

Anthony Gerhardt (#63 SF; ineligible) - It's been a while since I went down the "sign an ineligible" route, but having plugged the other gaps, there wasn't much available other than what was being fought over by lesser-prestige schools. Sim teams Canisius and Niagara were battling for Gerhardt, but I was able to swoop in and sign him without much of a fight.

Gerhardt's a decent long-term prospect. Down the road, he'll be an excellent defender, with good ATH/speed he can use on both ends. I wish he was a better passer, but he'll turn into an OK complementary scorer who also won't commit many turnovers. In a vacuum, he makes a lot of sense for us, but I'm not entirely sure how much he'll play. Everything he does, Murphy is going to do better, and if he shows up and sits a year, he won't develop until that second season (where it's possible he'll be third-string at SF and not really able to contribute anywhere else). Ability-wise, though, I don't have many concerns.

GRADE: B. Getting the *** guard would've helped us a ton, but I landed my other primary target and snatched up two other guys who'll fit long-term. Given the recent prestige drop, I did pretty well, and I'm hoping that bounces back up at the end of this season.

Lots of good stuff here...

Last season: Richmond was, indeed, on the right side of the NT bubble. We got in as an 11-seed and sprung a minor upset of USC in the first round before running into Colorado, who eventually advanced to the Final Four. Patrick Caudill was drafted, and our prestige floated back up to B-.

This season: It's probably my best Richmond team ever. We're currently 22-3 (and have been ranked for most of the year) ahead of a massive showdown with 22-1 St. Bonaventure. The projection report has both teams as NT locks, and La Salle also figures to be on the right side of the bubble. The A-10 is tough this year, but we've played really well (including a win against top-10 Cincinnati).

Recruiting was always going to be key this year. We have four scholarships to fill, two for key starters that may very well get drafted (Quincy Jones and Gary Cole) and two for reserves that have played a ton of important minutes (Douglas White and Matthew Ebbert). We've filled two of them in the early stages of recruiting, one with a guy I treated as a must-get...

Del Mueller (****, #56 overall, #11 C) - I think WIS underranked Mueller a bit, actually, because he's very similar to Lyle Amezcua. Mueller popped up 16 miles from campus, and I needed a high-quality big. We lose two of them after this season, I remain convinced we're going to lose Amezcua early (if he sticks around all four years, I'll be very pleasantly surprised!), and Douglas Opitz will be a senior next year, too.

I planted my flag on Mueller early by maxing out promises, and, predictably, a battle ensued. NC State showed up on him and I was prepared for a flip. What I didn't expect was both Georgia Tech and Providence ALSO joining in to make it a four-way fight (Princeton also invested a bit in him, but not enough to have a real shot). Somehow, I wound up a slight favorite at 31%, and that was enough for me to land him.

Mueller will start from day one (Opitz is probably better, but as Ebbert has proven the past two years, there's a ton of value in having a #3 big that's good enough to start for most teams), and I can't wait to see how he develops. He's not as polished a scorer as Amezcua was coming in, but he's a phenomenal athlete with room to grow everywhere it counts. If we hadn't gotten him, it would've been a legitimate crisis (and I'd probably be searching for a new job next year).

James Buchheit (*, #139 overall, #16 PG) - Stop me if you've heard this before, but it was a below-average guard year. In addition to Mueller, I had two other targets in mind, both guards. One was right next to Cincinnati and the other was an ineligible that got snapped up by Lipscomb, and I figured engaging in either battle (in addition to the one for Mueller) was a losing proposition.

Buchheit was a backup option, and while he's far from bad, if this is truly the #16 PG in the country, something's wrong. On the plus side, he's going to turn into an excellent shooter with a passable inside game, decent-to-good athleticism and speed, and reasonable point guard skills. Those point guard skills, though, are close to topped out, and while he'll turn into a solid defender down the road, he won't ever be a lockdown guy and is going to need some work as a freshman.

Buchheit is a good get, especially considering we'll need outside shooting with Jones and White graduating. Thankfully, though, I didn't have to promise him anything, because he'll likely be the #4 or #5 guard in the rotation starting out.

Make it three...

David Nguyen (#83 PG) - Nguyen is a JuCo player, so we'll have him for two years. He looks a lot like Douglas White, for several reasons. He's going to be a very good scorer once he gets his offensive IQ up, and with his shooting/distributing abilities, he can play either guard spot. Athletically, he's fine; he's no burner, but he's fast enough to get the job done.

The downside with him, like with White, is in his defense. He does have some room to improve, which is good, and if he tops out in the mid-60's, he'll be fine. If he can't get there, he becomes a bit of a liability.

I had to promise him a start (plus 20 minutes) to ward off a challenge from Buffalo. I probably would've won a flip for him, but I needed backcourt bodies and I didn't feel like taking the chance (and, as it turns out, A- prestige Oklahoma State offered him a scholarship the cycle he signed with me, so the decision was probably the right one). He'd be better as the "instant offense off the bench" guard White's been for the past few years, and he's not going to be a star, but he definitely fills a need and should be totally fine for what he is.

It wound up being a great season with a lousy ending. Richmond went 25-5, but one of those losses was a heartbreaker in the first round of the NT. We led Rice by six with 2:30 to go and lost in regulation. Brutal, brutal stuff.

We had one more scholarship to fill in the second part of recruiting, and here he is...

Clyde Burton (#149 PF) - Burton is ineligible, so there's a chance he doesn't show up (and if he does, of course, he'll have to sit a year). Either way, though, I'm okay with it. We didn't necessarily need a 12th guy, but it's good to not have to take a walk-on.

I was flying blind on Burton after losing a flip to Georgia for a guy who would've been a fun "redshirt a year, sit a year" SF. As it turned out, Burton could be worse. He's a good scorer, and he'll turn into a decent rebounder, a strong passer for a big guy, and a very solid FT shooter. His defense is, of course, a major problem. Part of me hopes he goes JuCo and gets a year to develop. If he does, we'll have a lead recruiting him next season and he'll be quite a bit better given his work ethic and high potential.

I wish it was a little easier to get guys late (not being able to recruit transfers without scouting money to discover them is a real problem). Having said that, Burton's not terrible.

RECRUITING GRADE: B-/B. After winning the flip for Mueller, who's going to be a very, very good player immediately and will only get better, I can't complain too much. Nguyen having to start isn't ideal, but he'll be fine once he gets his defense up to snuff. Buchheit should turn into a very strong scoring option (possibly more than that) with time, and Burton at least provides a warm body instead of a walk-on.

It would've been nice to land one of my other primary options, in addition to Mueller, but it just wasn't smart to engage in battles for those two. It could've been a lot worse given the volume of talent we lose (Jones and Cole have outside chances to get drafted, and White and Ebbert played tons of minutes off the bench). We'll at least be solid next year, and Nguyen and Mueller growing throughout the year may mean we end the season a far better team than we start it.

Another season, and despite having a lot to replace (two high-impact starters and two guys who played a ton off the bench), we're doing OK. At 16-8 overall and 11-3 in the A-10, we look more like a PI team than an NT team, but given that we're starting a freshman and a JuCo player who didn't know our offense to start the year, I'll take that.

This recruiting period has a "make or break" feel to it. We've got three scholarships to fill, possibly a fourth if Lyle Amezcua declares for the draft (he's about 80th on the big board and "on the fence," so it's probably a genuine 50-50 proposition). We've filled two spots so far, and here they are...

Roderick Carson (***, #77 overall, #14 PG) - This year's guard gen was about as good as any class I can remember. If they were all like this, I don't think any coaches would ever complain. There were lots of options, and in a year where I needed at least one good guard (with Keegan graduating and David Nguyen and Micheal Evans entering their senior years), I was lucky enough to land a guy who should be an impact player.

Carson is already a terrific shooter, and he'll get far better at running the offense with time. He won't get much faster, but his speed is at least solid, and his high athleticism should mitigate some of that. It should also help with his defense, which isn't bad coming in but won't ever be elite. Down the road, I see him being able to play both guard positions very, very well.

I'm going to need to start him next season, thanks to a battle with one of my old schools. Columbia and I were in on Carson from the jump, and I won a legitimate 50-50 flip. That promise isn't a terrible thing, though. Once his defensive IQ gets up to snuff, he'll be a solid starter with tons of room to grow. He may take some lumps as a freshman, but I really like him.

Eric Blevins (#208 overall, #42 C) - #3 big Douglas Opitz is graduating, so even if Amezcua stays, there's plenty of minutes available for someone to soak up. David Wiggins isn't a bad player, but his rebounding topped out much earlier than I'd have liked, and Clyde Burton simply needs way more time to develop.

Enter Blevins, who's a very intriguing prospect. He's already a very good athlete with a solid defensive foundation and knowledge of the M2M system we run. He'll turn into a top-flight rebounder and inside scorer with time, and he's also got room to grow as a passer and ball-handler, too. I wish he was a bit faster, but that's picking nits, and he'll grow his speed a bit over time, too.

I got lucky Blevins signed when he did. A- prestige Vanderbilt offered him a scholarship very early in recruiting, but sat back for quite a while. They moved from "very low" to "low" in the last cycle before Blevins signed, and if he hadn't done so, I may well have lost a flip. As it stands now, Blevins will play 10 minutes a game next season (maybe more if Amezcua leaves), and he'll develop into a high-impact starter as an upperclassman.

The on-court news is so-so. We finished 18-11 and got bounced from the PI in the first round. David Nguyen got hurt in the first minute of a game we lost by six points. That's annoying, but making the postseason at all in what hit me as a possible rebuilding year isn't a bad thing.

The off-court news, however, is fantastic. Amezcua is coming back for his senior season, which gives us a legitimate chance to be OK (a starting five of Nguyen, Carson, Murphy, Mueller, and Amezcua is a pretty good one, especially once Carson's IQ's get up to snuff). It also means our recruiting is done, as signing #3 happened just before the first period ended.

Bradley Robinson (**, #114 overall, #18 SG) - Robinson's position is listed as SG, but he's really a small forward. As guards go, he's slow, and his low athleticism and passing potential is a problem. However, switch his position, and his outlook looks far, far brighter. Down the road, he's going to be a very good scorer, a much better defender with a bit more speed, and a pretty decent rebounder for his position.

I attempted to inform him of a redshirt this year, but that didn't go well for me. It's annoying, because he won't play much this coming season and he'd have really benefited from an extra year. However, he'll still turn into a very good player. He's just a project that needs some time, and I intend to give that to him.

RECRUITING GRADE: B+. It's not quite a top-tier group, but this is really solid, and it's aided by Amezcua returning for his senior year (which I did NOT expect, at all, whatsoever). Carson and Blevins both fill needs, and Robinson, while a work-in-progress, will turn into a strong starter down the road. I'm not anticipating any of these guys being out-and-out stars, but for what they are, all three are quite good.

It's been a surprisingly great year for Richmond to this point. After a 1-3 start, we're 17-5 and have played ourselves onto the NT bubble. If we get there, I'll be thrilled.

Recruiting, meanwhile, is underway, and for the first time in quite a while, I signed someone as early as possible.

Neal Malikowski (*, #151 overall, #28 SG) - We need more bodies in the backcourt. David Nguyen and Micheal Evans are seniors, and while Daniel Murphy's fast enough to play guard, more depth is always a plus.

Malikowski is a bit slow, which is why, I imagine, I was able to snag him early. That has the potential to be annoying. However, he's a fantastic prospect everywhere else it matters. He's raw defensively, but that'll change, and he'll turn into a dependable option at PG, SG, or SF (his potential in rebounding and low post excites me).

I didn't have to promise him anything, and d epending on how the rest of recruiting goes, I may redshirt him. That buys him plenty of time, and his work ethic is high enough for him to really benefit from that. Despite the "meh" speed and him being a bit of a project, though, I like him quite a bit, and it's fortunate he signed when he did. St. John's offered him the previous cycle, and while I could've protected him with some more resources (and, as a higher prestige, I'd have been in a good spot), I'm happy I could save some money for another time.

Richmond wound up winning the A-10 tournament and securing an NT bid. We got bounced in the first round, but I wasn't expecting an NT appearance of any kind, so I'm ecstatic.

Recruiting wound down, and here are my last two signings...

Frederick Eastman (***, #76 overall, #21 PF) - Eastman is overranked a bit by WIS. He's probably a two-star, not a three, but as a "pivot plan," he and my third signing are just fine.

My initial target was a **** guard who would've started next season and allowed Murphy to continue playing SF. I wound up ahead 50-33-17 in a three-way flip, but lost to West Virginia. It was a bummer, but considering the flips I've won the last few seasons, I honestly cannot complain too much.

Anyway, with no other guards worth pursuing, my plan shifted to "get depth in the frontcourt in case Mueller leaves early." I also wanted to make sure Clyde Burton never has to play meaningful minutes (I debated cutting him but decided against it). Eastman is already a solid scorer, and he'll turn into a very good rebounder with strong "wing" stats (especially his passing). Depending on how fast he gets, he could become a SF/PF hybrid and give us some options down the road.

I wish he'd get a bit more athletic, and his on-ball defense isn't anything special. However, he'll play 10 minutes a game behind Wiggins, Mueller, and Blevins, and he'll wind up a good, solid player.

Albert Perry (international, so unranked) - Everything about Perry screams "good project, but needs time." Eventually, he's going to be a very good big given his high potential almost everywhere it matters, and being able to sign him cheaply was a plus after getting into that losing battle.

For now, though, Perry's raw. The plan is to redshirt him one year, sit him another, and hope he develops in that time. If I could swap his work ethic with Eastman's, I'd do it in a heartbeat, but it's not like Perry's is terrible. Down the road, he's going to be fine. He just needs a few years to develop, and if he takes the redshirt, that won't be an issue.

RECRUITING GRADE: B-. This wasn't a good crop of recruits, and I did the best I could with what was out there. To illustrate, as I type this, WIS's "class rankings" system has this as a top-40 class. The low quality across the board is why I had no problem battling for the guard I lost; you have to plant your flag somewhere and give yourself a chance.

Malikowski being slow is annoying, and Eastman's a bit overranked. Still, they're both fine players who will develop into good, solid, usable pieces (if not stars). Perry needs to redshirt, but if he does, he'll be an asset in time, too. All told, this class isn't great, but it could've been a lot worse, and I'm happy I was able to salvage a group that will eventually fit on a strong roster.

We took a step back this season (which, in hindsight, was predictable given the quality of players we lost and the just-OK recruiting class I salvaged out of a terrible crop). We have some good wins, but at 16-10, we look like a PI team provided we don't throw up all over ourselves during the conference tournament.

The first round of recruiting is complete. If Del Mueller leaves (he's in the 40's on the big board and "on the fence"), we'll need to keep firing, but for now, here's what we've got.

Robert Ulibarri (****, #49 overall, #7 PG) - Despite Mueller's uncertain status, our bigger need was in the backcourt. Daniel Murphy's gone back to SG and he's been fine, but he's a senior, and the rest of our backcourt consists of Carson (who's good), Buchheit (who's never really developed as much as I thought he would), and Malikowski (who needs more time). I needed a starting-quality guard, and Ulibarri was the only one in this crop of recruits who fit that description.

He reminds me a ton of Wayne Keegan, just more polished coming in. He's already a legitimate shut-down defender with knowledge of the M2M set we run, so he won't be out of place with all the promises I sent his way. Offensively, he'll never be a top-tier scorer, but he won't be totally useless, and while I wish he was a better passer, he's a decent ball handler who won't commit too many turnovers.

I expected a battle and got one, as this went to a three-way flip. NC State was a slight favorite at 39%, I was at 37%, and West Virginia (who beat me out for a four-star recruit LAST season) was at 24%. Georgetown, Georgia, and James Madison all offered, too, so a whole bunch of people saw what I saw. We were very fortunate to get him, and if I hadn't won the flip, that might've been cause to look for a new job at the end of the season (that's how dreadful the guards are this time around).

Antony Greco (international, so unranked) - The frontcourt couldn't be unaddressed, though. In addition to Mueller's situation, David Wiggins is a senior, and while signing two bigs last year helped considerably, getting another body was my clear #2 priority (especially since Perry, who redshirted this year, still needs time, and Clyde Burton was a player I probably never should've signed).

I was all-in on Ulibarri and didn't spend any points or money on anything else during that time. Once he signed, Greco showed up considering only a D2 school, with Hawaii showing minor interest. When Hawaii didn't offer, I jumped at him, and I'm pretty pleased to have him in the fold given how late I started looking for a second signing.

Greco's already a good athlete, and he'll get a lot faster, too. He'll turn into a good rebounder and an efficient defender, and I like that some of his wing numbers will go up quite a bit. I wish he was a better scorer, and he'll never be a GREAT player or anything, but he's a good, solid mid-major prospect who won't be out of place playing 10 minutes a game next season. As "oh god, what's actually out there at this point?" prospects go, I've done a LOT worse!

RECRUITING GRADE (so far): A. Ulibarri was a must-get, and honestly, everything else is gravy. Greco isn't/won't be a star, but he doesn't have to be, and in time he'll be a very good rotation player for us. If Mueller stays, I'm very happy. If he doesn't, I've got some work to do.

Mueller did stay, though he may be regretting that decision. We're not bad, at 17-7 overall and 12-2 in-conference, but we had a few chances at quality non-league wins and lost those games. We have a good shot at a PI berth, but probably need to win the CT to make the NT.

Meanwhile, here's the latest recruiting update...

Justin Scott (**, #122 overall, #28 SG) - I won this flip and lost another. The one I lost was for a **** big that would've started immediately. Unfortunately, Villanova also decided they wanted him, and they won a three-way flip that also included Virginia.

Scott, however, looks like a decent get as a guard but looks miles better if you think of him as a small forward. Do that, and he goes from "raw, meh speed, needs time" to "solid ATH/SPD combo, room to develop as a scorer, good court vision for the position, and room to improve pretty much everywhere." I still wish he'd get faster/more athletic, but at SF, those numbers are fine, and his potential elsewhere is a big, big plus.

I wasn't expecting a flip here. I dropped in on D+ prestige sim Florida A&M, which apparently promised him quite a bit. I didn't do that, and I wasn't done recruiting him when he decided to sign (I got pretty fortunate to win close to a 50-50 flip). Losing both flips would've been pretty bad. The one I lost does sting a bit, but Scott's a strong prospect who could see time at three different positions before he's done here. I like him quite a bit as a versatile "glue guy," and with time (which he'll get), he'll be pretty good.

Roger Brown (**, #115 overall, #17 PG) - Buchheit is graduating after this season, and Roderick Carson will be a senior. While the Ulibarri-Carson backcourt figures to be a good one next year, this meant we needed at least one guard to fill out the depth chart, and Brown's not a bad get.

He's definitely more raw than I'd prefer, and I don't like that his passing won't ever be top-notch. However, he's a good athlete that will get much faster, and he's going to turn into an excellent defensive player. He'll also be a very strong ball handler that won't turn the ball over much, and he won't be totally inept as a shooter.

I thankfully didn't have to promise Brown anything. He's a project that's going to need a little time. Thankfully, we don't need him to play serious minutes as a freshman, and his strong work ethic ensures he'll grow a lot in his first year. Down the road, he'll be a solid player that absolutely fills a need.

I was hoping to get a third player along with Scott and Brown last season. It didn't materialize, making last year's class a B- or so. As that happened, we won the CT and made the NT, where we gave Tennessee a first-round scare before falling by six points. Mueller was drafted, as expected, and our prestige stayed at B.

This season's been a good one. Richmond is 18-6 as of this writing and 12-2 in-conference, with no bad losses and two fantastic non-league wins over Cincinnati and Texas. I was worried we'd overscheduled, but no complaints at this point, and I'm hoping we do enough to make the NT.

This recruiting period is make-or-break given that we've got five spots to fill. I fell on my face a few times, but we've started filling scholarships...

Philip Ballenger (****, #58 overall, #13 SG) - ...and this guy was priority #1, especially after some unfortunate mishaps. I had four initial primary targets. Two signed, but I lost one *** guard in an unexpected battle with St. Bonaventure and lost a ***** big to Maryland when they moved in on him and signed him with just a single cycle's worth of work. The benefits of an A+ prestige!

Ballenger, meanwhile, is listed as a SG, but will be our starting SF next year. Bradley Robinson graduates, and there wasn't much depth behind him. Scott has been fine and developed a bit, but he's not ready to start. Thankfully, Ballenger spawned about 100 miles from campus and I was able to plant my flag/survive recruiting challenges from Cincinnati and Tennessee (I won a three-way flip as a 44% favorite).

Ballenger is going to be a top-flight defender with excellent ATH/speed for his position. His low-for-a-guard passing ability is no longer an issue, and he'll take very good care of the ball while turning into a solid, well-rounded scorer (albeit far from an electric offensive threat). His stamina needs to get better, but it'll grow quickly, and for what he is, he's an excellent get.

Ryan Wilton (JUCO, #107 C) - My other primary target was Wilton, who won't be a star but doesn't have to be. He's got two years of eligibility left and will get some playing time next season with the graduation of Eric Blevins (who's turned into a very good center we'll miss quite a bit).

Despite his age, Wilton is still sort of raw. He's not a great scorer, and many of his other abilities are just so-so...for now. His selling point is a fantastic work ethic and high potential in some key areas. In time, he'll turn into an outstanding rebounder and a very good defender with some solid "wing" stats for a big guy.

The low offensive ceiling isn't ideal, but he'll be our #4 big next season, so it's not like we need him to be a scoring machine or anything. Depending on how he develops next season, he could possibly start as a senior, and I'm shocked nobody else (not even a Sim) went after him in any way during recruiting. This was a pretty easy get for us, and given my misadventures elsewhere, that was sort of necessary!

Stephen Vigue (international, so unranked) - Losing the battle for that *** guard to St. Bonaventure was a gut punch. He's going to be a very good player, and having to face him in-conference for four years after losing a 50-50 flip is like rubbing salt into the wound.

With that, I had to go down my list, and I wound up signing Vigue, who's definitely raw. Kansas State was the only other human-coached program to show any interest at all, and it's because he's going to need some time. However, there's some stuff to like. He's already a pretty good shooter and will get a bit better there while also improving his inside game, and while I wish he'd be a better passer, his ball handling will wind up in a decent spot. His defense needs to improve, but the potential is there for him to turn into a solid stopper, and I also like that he'll be a very good rebounder for a guard, too.

I'm hoping to be able to redshirt him. The "redshirt a year, sit a year" method will give him plenty of time to develop, and if that happens, he'll be a decent rotational piece in the seasons ahead. He's by no means a star, but he's also by no means a bad or desperate signing, either.

We stumbled badly near the end of the year, wound up in the PI, and crashed and burned in the first round. Not a terrible season, and we did keep a B prestige, but after the way we started, that stings.

Round two of recruiting is upon us, and we got a good one.

Ryan Richards (**, #142 overall, #28 PG) - We'll need to play Richards a bit more than we should, but I'm happy he's here. He's already a good ball handler (though being topped out there is a bit annoying), and down the road, we'll be able to play him at either guard spot. He'll be fast, a capable (if never great) defender, and a strong outside shooter.

Richards was another backup plan after we got spurned by the *** guard who signed for St. Bonaventure. Initially, I just had to bump off a Sim, but Clemson jumped in and forced a flip. Thankfully, we won that flip as a 66-34 favorite, at the cost of needing to find some playing time for him as a freshman. That, thankfully, won't be an issue. Roger Brown is raw enough to where Richards can be slotted as the first guard off the bench behind Ulibarri and Malikowski, and he might see some time at SF, too.

Losing that primary target stunk. Between Richards and, to an extent, Vigue, we rebounded fairly well. I like Richards quite a bit for what he is, and he'll be a good fit here once he gets his defense/defensive IQ up to snuff.

EDIT: That's almost certainly it for this year's class. I poked around and there's simply nobody left worth taking on (I sunk some AP's into an ineligible big, but he signed with a Sim before I could offer).

I'll give the recruiting class a B. Ballenger is going to be a very good player who'll fit from day one, and that brings up a class that's otherwise just-OK. Richards needs a bit more time than he'll get/will play a bit more than he should, but I could see him starting down the road and being effective. Wilton, meanwhile, is a two-year rental, and Vigue is very raw (Richards signing means I can redshirt Vigue without losing depth in the backcourt, and that was huge).

That *** guard would have made this a B+/A- group, and it still stings that we lost him to a conference rival. Still, this is enough to keep us reasonably competitive next year. A starting five of Ulibarri-Malikowski-Ballenger-Eastman-Greco is a solid one, and some depth behind it might get us to 16-18 wins. It's a step back, but not a program-killer or anything, and it could've been A LOT worse!